GOLDEN GLIMPSES #117GOLDEN GLIMPSES #117
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By ED GOLDEN Baffert goes for the gold, history A LOT OF MONEY and a little history. They are the two major goals, not necessarily in that order, of trainer Bob Baffert as he prepares Real Quiet for victory in the June 6 Belmont Stakes. A victory would enable the son of Quiet American to become only the 12th Triple Crown winner in history and the first since Affirmed in 1978. "We won the (Kentucky) Derby. That’s all that counts," Baffert said matter-of-factly from his home base at Santa Anita, where he was spending a brief period away from Churchill Downs. Kentucky Derby and Preakness winner Real Quiet is training for the Belmont at the Kentucky track. Trainer April Mayberry, daughter of trainer Brian Mayberry, was Baffert’s lieutenant for Real Quiet at Churchill Downs while Baffert was in sunny California. Silver Charm had much closer encounters in last year’s Derby and Preakness in pursuit of the Triple Crown than Real Quiet has had in the first two legs this year. Real Quiet won by a half-length and 2� lengths over Victory Gallop. Last year, Silver Charm won by a head and a nose over Captain Bodgit and Free House. "He’s just getting better," Baffert said of Real Quiet, evaluating the reason for the colt’s wider margin of victory. "He’s a very good horse. He fooled us all. Don’t get me wrong; the competition this year has been good. Victory Gallop is a good horse. "The others were good, too, but Indian Charlie (who finished third in the Derby as the 5-2 favorite) wasn’t going to beat Real Quiet in the Preakness. That’s why I didn’t run him. I’m going to get him ready for the Haskell (at Monmouth Park later this summer). After the Derby, a lot of trainers knew they couldn’t beat Real Quiet, so they didn’t go on to the Preakness and now they’re not going in the Belmont. "Only a trainer knows what it’s like to go to the Triple Crown. It’s tough. It’s grueling. Look at Lukas’ horse (Cape Town). He breaks down. And there’s no bonus for points, which would have provided an incentive (for horses finishing in the money in the Triple Crown races). That’s why I didn’t run Indian Charlie in the Preakness." BAFFERT SAYS there’s no added pressure to win the Triple Crown this year, even though Real Quiet figures to be the odds-on favorite in the Belmont, something like 2-5. Silver Charm was odds-on last year, falling to Touch Gold by three-quarters of a length. "I don’t care. If we win it, we win it," Baffert says of the Triple Crown, which carries a $5 million bonus if Real Quiet wins. "If we don’t, we don’t. There’s no pressure. We won the Derby. That’s all that matters. It’s all about money now. It’s about money and a little history, but I don’t worry about that stuff. I just treat it like another race." Be that as it may, you can bet Baffert will be rooting, cheering, yelling, cajoling for Real Quiet. A lot of money, a little history, or not. THE HOMESTRETCH: Real Quiet was expected to work early this week. He walked under tack Saturday morning after Churchill Downs came up sloppy for the second straight day . . . Orville N Wilbur’s, dropped from second to third via disqualification in the Illinois Derby, is likely for the Belmont Stakes. "He certainly has the breeding to run a long ways," says trainer Wally Dollase. "The only thing he has to do is learn to settle down. He’s so athletic, it’s sickening. If I told you and everyone else what happened to him in the Santa Anita Derby, you might change your mind about him." . . . Who needs the National Thoroughbred Racing Association? Hollywood Park will be featured on "Sports Central" each Sunday, 3-5 p.m., on KCBS-TV (Channel 2, Los Angeles). Emmy Award winner Dan Noel produces the two-hour show, hosted by Jim Hill and Bret Lewis. Rory Markus and Caton Brader are on-site talent. In addition to the feature race, Hollywood’s segment will include post-race coverage and features on racing personalities. "We look at this as an excellent opportunity to showcase the sport of horse racing to a wide range of sports fans," says Tony Allevato, Hollywood’s goal-oriented director of TV production . . . Laffit Pincay Jr.’s victory total stands at 8,610. That’s 223 shy of Bill Shoemaker’s career record 8,833 . . . Baffert says all systems are go for Silver Charm in the June 13 Stephen Foster at Churchill Downs . . . Gentlemen, pointing to the $1 million Hollywood Gold Cup on June 28, worked six furlongs Saturday in a bullet 1:11 4/5. It was his longest workout since he bled while finishing fourth and last as the 1-20 favorite in the Santa Anita Handicap on March 7. "He’s right on course," said trainer Richard Mandella. |
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